All about marine navigation, sailing tips and MaxSea updates!

Benefitting from 22 years’ experience in the field of cartography, TZ charts by MapMedia selects the best marine chart data available, based on several different criteria: coverage, reliability, level of detail and the date of last update.

MapMedia works with Hydrographic Offices all around the world, as well as with private providers who have demonstrated their reliability and professionalism over many years.

Vector chart (left) vs. Raster chart (right)

Discover the process of creating and integrating Raster and Vector charts for TIMEZERO software.

Choosing a local supplier is often the most appropriate option due to their knowledge and expertise in that region. TZ charts by MapMedia therefore consists of a very large marine cartography library, sourced from multiple different vendors, which acts as a very strong basis to start from.

The first stage of production is to create a large digital database in order to make the most of the compiled information.

There are several forms of delivery media for Raster marine charts, whether paper or digital. The important step of scanning the charts and entering data is required. The title of the chart, the scale, the date of issue and the date of revision all make up what we call meta info.

This information will be available later for TIMEZERO software users as well as for users of Furuno products. This information is integrated within digital and vector maps.

The second step involves the geo-referencing and compilation of these marine charts. This process is what allows the chart to be well-positioned in relation to the GPS. Particular attention is always given to this crucial step, to ensure the safety of users.

The third step is the conversion of all the data into our own proprietary format called mm3d. This format is optimized for and exclusive to TIMEZERO software and related products.

Again, during this third step, stringent controls are in place in order to ensure the reliability of the finished product. Once this work is completed and validated, the final step may begin: the division of the marine chart into “zones” that will be available to users.

A whole series of tests are then carried out on each product to ensure the reliability, consistency and security of data used in the chart. These marine charts are available for download through our online nautical chart catalog.